As far back as I can remember I was drawing and making things. I started with crayons and moved on to pencils, pen and ink and then charcoal. When I was introduced to watercolors, I was totally hooked. That journey began over 35 years ago.

I love using the word “journey” to express my joy in watercolors, because it means traveling from one place to another, which is exactly what watercolors do. I get so lost in the fluidity of the watercolor pigment meeting the water and I am definitely traveling across the watercolor paper on a journey of creativity. I paint from my heart, anything that speaks to me, I know it sounds weird, but literally I have a moment of inspiration when I see a subject, and a voice in my head says, “I have to paint that”!

To begin my process I take photographs, lots of photographs! I use these when I get back into my studio, creating a drawing on my watercolor paper, from my reference photos. Then I let the subject matter tell me how I will express it in watercolors, what will come forward, realism, impressionism or even by pouring the watercolor onto my paper. Whichever technique I use for creating the painting, I love how yielding the watercolor is allowing me to control each brush stroke that I lay down so carefully when working in realism. I also find that I love the challenge of how unforgiving the watercolors can be when I'm painting loosely or pouring paint. I still find myself holding my breath when a drop of water and paint meet on the paper surface for the first time. It can evoke an “aha moment” or a sigh of “that was unexpected”.

In the end, I am striving to create paintings that will evoke an emotional connection with the viewer.